Oats

Oats are an annual cereal crop belonging to the family of sweet grasses. Unlike most cereals, oat grains do not grow in ears on the plant, but instead hang in panicles. Oats are grown in temperate climates and their widespread root system means that they are relatively undemanding.

One of the most common uses of oats is in the animal feed industry, where they are needed to produce concentrated feed for horses. Because of their performance-enhancing properties, oats are also used in the foodstuffs industry in bakery products or as oat flakes in mueslis. Oats are regarded as being easily digestible and are also given to patients with eating disorders or general weakness. In naturopathy a tea made from oats is used to treat insomnia and to calm patients down. For many years porridge was a basic foodstuff, but it has since been replaced in this position by potatoes.